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Spencer Pratt has turned to social media during an unimaginably tough time — and it's paying off.
After wildfires destroyed their Pacific Palisades home on Tuesday, January 7, Pratt and his wife, Heidi Montag, were left starting from scratch.
"EVERYTHING we have worked for was in this house... we are starting at zero now," the 41-year-old reality star, who co-starred with Montag on The Hills from 2007 to 2010, shared on TikTok at the time. He began posting more frequently, sharing emotional videos of the aftermath on the popular platform, where he's gained over a million followers in just one week.
The response? Overwhelming support.
On TikTok Live, where fans can donate directly, the TV personality revealed he's earned around $20,000. "That's phenomenal and life-changing," he told Variety in an interview published Friday, January 17.
In addition to TikTok Live, Pratt said that he made about $4,000 from regular TikTok content. "That's the power of individual supporters, people just backing you and getting behind you," he mused. "And that's the most powerful when you don't have to rely on ads or AI and algorithms when just actual human beings just want to give. It's unbelievable and incredible."
The Hills alum also used TikTok to promote his wife's 2010 album, Superficial, which recently hit No. 1 on iTunes after its 15th anniversary re-release. But despite the chart-topping success, Pratt isn't counting on big payouts.
"I don't know if it comes in checks or when, but everybody keeps telling me, don't expect any money," he shared with the outlet. "I'm more excited about the energy and opportunities that come from it."
Still, Pratt remains hopeful. "Based on what people are telling me, the music business is about touring, it's about merchandise, it's about all the things that come with it; that's how the artists make money unless you're doing billions of streams, which I'm still energetically [pushing]," he explained. "It's not happening yet! I'm being optimistic because truly, it's the only way to get through all this."
Pratt and Montag, 38, met at a Los Angeles nightclub in 2006, and it was love at first sight — at least for the "I'll Do It" singer. "I pretty much told everyone I was going to marry him and that I loved him," she shared with Vice in 2016. The pair tied the knot in 2008 and now, nearly two decades later, they share two sons: Gunner, 7, and Ryker, 2.